CAREER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 101
Rod Colon

1. Planning Your Career
a. Branding (ME, Inc.)
  1. Communicating effectively through a one of the most misunderstood mediums – The Resume
  2. Developing a Marketing Plan
  3. Business Cards
  4. 60 Second Commercial
b. Take a Look at Yourself
  1. Identifying skills, abilities, work experience, values, and work preferences to achieve a good job match
  2. Identifying potential references – people who can and are willing to confirm your good performance on the job, and other activities
c. What Do Employers Want?
  1. Identifying job-specific skills and transferable career competencies to convince employers of appropriateness for the job
  2. Using a variety of career planning resources to help in choosing and validating appropriate career and job goals
  3. Preparing to qualify for two closely related career goals that require similar skills and training in order to increase your career flexibility
  4. Using visualization, brainstorming, personal reflection, and other techniques to set your career target
  5. Developing a portfolio of items to demonstrate job qualifications for prospective employers
  6. Collecting items that will demonstrate job qualifications for prospective employers
d. Prepare for a Changing Workplace
  1. Mastering money with common sense by using a monthly budget
  2. Using a two-pronged approach when preparing for a successful career in the global economy of the twenty-first century:
    3. 1. learning about the economic, political, social, and technological trends
    2. providing quality products and excellent service to customers
  3. Staying abreast of workplace trends and employment growth areas
  4. Pursuing education and training opportunities
  5. Researching the compensation and benefits plans offered by firms of various sizes in a target industry
  6. Respecting diversity, honoring confidentiality, and maintaining high ethical standards
2. Your Job Search
a. Organize Your Winning Network
  1. What is networking?
  2. How to create, nurture, grow and leverage your Networking team
  3. Wants, Needs and Desires (WND) = GOALS
  4. Networking = Research & Development Department NOT Sales
  5. Developing a support system – people who motivate you and help you develop resumes and job search letters
  6. Developing a large job search network to help you find job leads
  7. Increasing your networking potential by identifying as many networking prospects as possible and considering many different networking sources
  8. Getting the most from your networking efforts by
    1. approaching as many people as possible
    2. joining clubs and job fairs
    3. using the Internet
    4. maintaining relationships
  9. Conducting organized networking appointments:
    1. reviewing your job target and qualifications
    2. leaving a resume
    3. asking for referrals
    4. getting references
    5. sending thank-you letters
    6. following up
Reference Article - Developing the Known Network

b. Engineer an Efficient Job Search
  1. Focusing job search energy on networking (the No. 1 source of job leads)
  2. Concentrating on direct telephone or face to face contacts with employers
  3. Using the Internet as a job search tool (www.indeed.com)
  4. Not limiting the search to published job announcements, which represent only 15 to 20 percent of available jobs
  5. Considering self-employment (with adequate experience)
  6. Allocating time in relation to the proven success rate of the top job search strategies
    1. networking
    2. advertisements
    3. employment agencies
  7. vii. Planning and organizing the job search to gain an advantage over others and spending time on the job search every day
c. Working with Agencies
  1. Pro’s and Con’s of working with recruiters
  2. Leveraging the knowledge of a recruiter
  3. Networking with recruiters
  4. Recruiters are agents no business partners
d. Investigate Job, Application, and Hiring Procedures
  1. Contacting employees in the field to get current information about the scope of their jobs and their employer’s hiring procedures
  2. Dressing and acting professionally in all outside assignments to project competence and encourage job leads
  3. Using the Internet to research job descriptions and hiring information of hard to reach employers
  4. Following up with contacts and people who participate in survey meetings by sending them thank you letters (within one day) and copies of your resume
e. Research Prospective Employers
  1. Gaining a competitive advantage by researching to learn about prospective employers who expect you to be knowledgeable about:
    1. job
    2. company
    3. industry
  2. Using many sources of current job information:
    1. people in your field
    2. 2. job fairs
    3. 3. libraries
    4. 4. online sources
    5. 5. associations
  3. Developing and regularly expanding your job/career-related vocabulary to demonstrate competence and knowledge
  4. Obtaining the most current and useful employer information and using it to develop targeted resume and cover letters and to prepare for successful interviews
  5. Researching to learn about the interviewer so that you can make a positive connection during the interview
3. Career Search Documents
a. Prepare a Winning Resume
  1. Writing a clear, appropriate job objective to focus the entire resume
  2. Tailoring the resume to support the job objective effectively
  3. Choosing the resume layout that best supports the job objective
  4. Using numbers and action verbs to describe your accomplishments
  5. Tailoring the resume to meet the needs of the employer and matching the resume to the job description by using specific terms and industry terminology
  6. Preparing and evaluating the resume draft, making corrections by applying effective writing techniques, developing a perfect final resume
  7. T-Letter
  8. Using appropriate keywords
  9. Formatting an electronic resume carefully to ensure clear transmission to receipt by employer
  10. Using the Internet to locate resume preparation tips and to deliver an electronic resume
Reference Article -Building Your Case Model and Securing the Interview

b. Perfect the Application and Cover Letter
  1. Making your application perfect
  2. Tailoring your cover letters to specific employers; making sure the cover letters are error free
  3. Stating the position you are applying for, listing your related abilities and requesting a meeting or an interview
  4. Formatting your electronic cover letters correctly
  5. Distributing a complete job search paper package or maximizing your online job search process
  6. Using the networking process to find solid job leads:
    1. appointments
    2. telephone calls
    3. networking letters
4. Your Interview
a. Interview Like a Pro
  1. Projecting enthusiasm and a positive attitude in interviews
  2. Projecting professionalism
    1. smiling
    2. dressing neatly and appropriately
    3. being clean and neat
  3. Using positive verbal communication; using positive terms; and avoiding grammatical errors, slang and credibility robbers
  4. Using positive body language in the first 30 seconds of an throughout the interview to project trust and credibility quickly
  5. Making the sale by delivering a polished interview commercial that emphasizes your qualifications and includes measurable accomplishments whenever possible
  6. Being prepared and organized
  7. Closing the interview skillfully; paying close attention to the interviewer’s signals for closure; running the commercial one more time to focus on your capabilities; and finding out how to follow up and when a hiring decision will be made
b. Master the Art of Getting Interviews
  1. When requesting an interview, emphasizing your qualifications before you make the request to give the receiver a reason to answer yes
  2. When making a request for an interview in person, preparing as though it were an actual interview because the first impression you make can influence to outcome
  3. Preparing a script and practicing asking for an interview before making a real request
  4. Treating gatekeepers courteously and professionally because they are often the key to connecting with the hiring authority
  5. Tapping into the hidden job market because resourceful applicants create jobs by researching employers’ needs and by showing exactly how their abilities meet those needs
c. Be Prepared for Any Interview Style
  1. Overly structured interview: Being friendly and positive to establish rapport and a relaxed tone
  2. Behavioral interview: Providing proof by example descriptions of your capabilities
  3. Screening interview: Finding out what the next step is and who will make the hiring decision
  4. Board, panel, or team interview: Learning and using the names of all the interviewers
  5. Stress interview: Remaining calm and not reacting negatively
  6. “Tell Me about yourself” interview: Focusing completely on your job qualifications
  7. Multilevel or corporate ladder interview: Keeping your answers consistent and maintaining energy
  8. Telephone interview: Posting your resume and your 60 second commercial close by, standing up, smiling and eliminating distractions
  9. Computer-assisted interview: giving consistent answers and avoiding long pauses
  10. Unstructured interview: presenting you qualifications thoroughly
d. Navigate Interview Questions and Answers
  1. Focusing on proof by example; responding persuasively to questions about your abilities; and citing examples of applying your abilities; and citing examples of applying your abilities in work, school, and other activities
  2. Preparing and rehearsing responses to typical interview questions
  3. Anticipating the stress of inappropriate interview questions and practicing careful responses
  4. Preparing and rehearsing responses to typical interview questions
  5. Preparing and asking appropriate questions
  6. Avoiding asking questions that diminish your liability, including questions that are too direct, questions that your research should have answered, and questions that make you appear immature or uncommitted to the job
e. Ace Employment Tests and Negotiations
  1. Researching to learn what types of tests are given by target employers, practicing beforehand to sharpen your performance in skills tests, and studying concepts for technical tests
  2. Taking drug screening seriously, finding out what drug screening procedures are used, and reporting your use of any prescription or over the counter drugs to avoid a false positive result
  3. Preparing for background checks by maintaining good credit, being truthful on resumes and applications, and obtaining copies of your credit reports and personnel records
  4. Postponing any discussion of salary until after you have received a job offer
  5. Considering all aspects of a job offer – the job and company, the compensation package (salary and benefits), growth opportunities, and so on – and negotiating to improve any areas of concern before accepting a job offer
f. Practice for Your Successful Interview
  1. Scheduling practice interviews to improve your actual interview performance and confidence
  2. Preparing for a practice interview as though it were real, participating seriously, and applying interview success strategies
  3. Asking interviewers to evaluate your proactive and dress rehearsal interview
  4. Summarizing thoroughly what you have learned from your practice and dress-rehearsal interviews
  5. Sending thank you letters to those who helped with your practice interviews
g. Interview and Follow Up
  1. Preparing a written script for a follow up telephone call; if necessary, including questions not asked or information omitted in the interview
  2. Drafting a brief follow up message to send after making a follow up telephone call
  3. Drafting a longer follow up letter to add important information or to use when no call is made
  4. After each interview, taking steps to improve areas of weak performance, and completing all necessary follow up activities
Reference Article - Quick Tips on Interviewing


5. After Your Interview
a. Prepare Your Next Move If You Don’t Get the Job
  1. Using positive thinking, action, visualization, goal setting, and self talk to improve our job search campaign
  2. Asking each interviewer to evaluate your performance so that any areas that need improvement can be identified
  3. Preparing and delivering a response to a rejection notice; providing additional information or portfolio samples and clarifying qualifications or misunderstandings as needed
  4. Asking for referrals to other departments or organizations
  5. Reapplying at a later date; calling back periodically to check the organization’s hiring status
b. You’re Hired! Take Charge of Your Career
  1. Focusing on three goals to help you adjust successfully to a new job: keeping a positive attitude; projecting a professional, competent image; and being a good team player
  2. Learning about the company and culture, working efficiently, being dependable, focusing on people, and preparing for evaluation
  3. Being a good communicator, managing yourself, building a network, and demonstrating maturity
  4. Being a high-quality, top producer; being a problem solver; learning to adapt to and manage change; and being flexible
  5. Taking on new challenges, broadening your skills and knowledge, seeking a mentor, developing expertise, keeping your portfolio current, networking, and increasing your visibility
c. Make Successful Job and Career Changes
  1. Staying on the cutting edge of the workforce by continuing your education
  2. Before changing jobs or careers, determining whether your discontent is job-based or career-based




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